On May 2nd, the 2022 Met Gala took place in New York, entitled In America: An Anthology of Fashion, the second chapter of its two-part exhibition on American fashion to follow up last year’s In America: A Lexicon of Fashion. This year’s Met Gala theme was Gilded Glamour, White Tie. The theme Gilded Glamour points to the period of the Gilded Age, roughly 1870 to 1890. With that, here are some of (subjectively) the best looks of this year’s Met Gala.

First off, we have Cardi B. Her ornate Atelier Versace column gown was a mixture of gilded couture and classic gilded glamour. The design was covered in tulle and seven types of chunky gold chains, some of them punctuated with Versace’s signature Medusa head medallions. The embroidery alone took over 1,300 hours and 20 different craftspeople to complete. Donatella Versace notes to Cardi that for her look, she chose to pay tribute to Hip Hop, using elements like gold chains and diamonds and mixing it with Versace’s iconic gold chains and jewelry. 

For this year’s gala, Laura Harrier stepped out in a custom H&M gown designed by Ann-Sofie Johansson, Creative Advisor at H&M. Harrier’s red carpet look was a corseted gown that created an hourglass figure inspired by the Gilded Age’s signature fashion, paired with long opera gloves, layered pearl choker necklaces, and chain detailing that accentuated the corset of her gown.

Afro-Latina Reporter and former Miss New York USA winner Génesis Suero stole the show with her cap-sleeved ball gown, accessorized with subtle diamond earrings and hair swept into an updo. The stunning gold beaded gown crowned her as the “Cinderella” of the night. 

Chasinghorse came into the Met Gala with a look which is a stunning nod to traditional Indigenous adornments, paired with contemporary elements. Member of the Hän Gwich’in and Oglala Lakota tribe, the model wore Prabal Gurung’s upcycled, hand-planed tulle gown in aqua, complete with hand-embroidered strass at the bodice with her accessories telling a much bigger story.  The incredible jewerly was designed for Chasinghorse by beadwork artist and Indigenous activist Lenise Omeasoo and was intended to envelope the model with Native pride, with her entire look being a celebration of the Native community. 

For our final look for this review, we have Blake Lively and her dramatic dress transformation of the night. The dress was another Atelier Versace, in a design inspired by New York City. First, Lively walks up the Met museum steps in a shimmering rose gold gown with an extravagant bow, which was inspired by Manhattan’s intricate architecture and paid homage to the Empire State Building. The bow on the skirt was then untied to reveal a cascading blue train, the design of which was inspired by the constellation decor at Grand Central station. Therefore, these are my top 5 picks of celebrities who definitely brought the “gilded” and “glamour” for this year’s Met Gala.